Coventry Blaze could soon find themselves locking horns with old foes such as Guildford and Dundee after an amazing reversal in ice hockey?s corridors of power.

Peace has finally broken out in the sport with the row that has been running all summer over the Elite League finally being resolved.

After months of spin, in-fighting and acrimony, the governing body Ice Hockey UK has given an official stamp of recognition to the league.

This comes despite several statements saying that affiliation would not be granted, and insistence that they would not re-consider their decision.

The switch has come about after the International Ice Hockey Federation stepped in.

One meeting in July failed to bring an end to the dispute, but the IIHF then warned that it was going to bang some heads together.

Ice Hockey UK has now said the Elite League has been officially affiliated, and that games between Coventry?s league and the Findus British National League are expected to be announced shortly.

The wrangling between the different factions started in April and effectively forced a planned new side in Glasgow to put their plans on hold for a year. The Elite League has been held up in making many of its arrangements, while the FBNL is yet to issue its fixtures for anything beyond the Findus Cup games, which kick their season off in September and October.

Elite League chairman Eamon Convery said: ?We are pleased to have successfully concluded discussions about affiliation. This will now enable us to hopefully build strong relationships with EPL and BNL clubs.

?From the outset we made public commitments in terms of developing ?farm team? arrangements with junior clubs, being affiliated now enables us to explore this potential for promoting junior play-ers into the professional ranks?.

The Elite League season kicks off on September 12. Blaze enter the competition the following day in Belfast and have their first home league game on September 14 against Nottingham Panthers.